Improvement in fire-escapes



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH T. OOMMOSS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR 'IO HIMSELF AND TRUMAN W. PEPPER, OF SAME PLAGE.

'IM PROVEM ENT IN FIRE- ESCAPES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 38,078, dated March 3l, 1863.

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

- resent partsgin detail.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the drawings.

Prior to my invention many devices have been made which were expensive and of intricate construction, and the time required for their use has greatly im paired their efficiency. My invention is designed to obviate these difculties by a simple, easily-worked, and effective apparatus.

To enable others to make and use my invention, I will describe the construction and operation thereof.

I take an ordinary rigging-block, b, of proper size, provided with a pulley, h, and at one end secure an iron hook, a, which is pointed so as readily to catch and hold upon any part of a building, and to the other end of this block securely attach the hawser c, as shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3. I then make a block, d, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and to the upper end attach two ropes, g and j', and to the other end I secure the car e, as plainly shown in Fig. 1. This block d is provided with'two pulleys or rollers, andj, which rotate freely upon a journal-pin as the block travels upon the hawser c.

The operation will be as follows: I provide alight line suiiiciently strong, at one end of which is a loop, Z, while the other has a light weight, lr, as seen in Fig. 6. The loop Z being secured to the hook on the block a, a person seizes the weight and throws it with the line to the top or window of a building, as desired. The hook, block, and hawser are then drawn up and secured by persons in or on the building. The hawser is held in proper position upon the ground, and by means of the ropes fand g the latter being passed through the block b) the car c is readily drawn up on the hawser to the top or windows of the build ing, and persons may be lowered rapidly and safely.

At fires the great `object is time, and my aim has been to obtain the most simple, easilyworked, and effective apparatus as a means of saving life at res.

I would remark that instead of throwing the weight and line, Fig. 6, for carrying the hawser to the building, the weight may be sent by a spring or air-gun for high buildings, and with greater accuracy but for ordinary buildings the weight can easily bc thrown and with suicient accuracy.

I claim- The combination and arrangement of the car e, block d, ropes g and f, hawser c, and hook-block a b, the Whole constructed and operating substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

JOSEPH T. OOMMOSS.

Witnesses:

C. A. DURGIN, W. WRAY. 

